586: Are we living in a simulation? Does AI change our perspective?

Pigweed and Crowhill drink and review a Copper Legend, an Oktoberfest from Jack's Abbey brewing. The topic for today: Has the development of AI changed our perspective on whether or not we're living in a simulation? Starting with Nick Bostrom's famous essay, the boys discuss the issues and why we might not be as "real" as we think we are. The development of AI has made Bostrom's essay even more significant. The idea that simulated minds might soon outnumber "real" minds is no longer an abstract science fiction question. On top of all this, we have stories about discussion groups just for AI -- where the bots talk to the bots. Another approach to the issue is to question what "real" means anyway. Our concept of the real, the physical, seems less and less likely as we discover that the hard substances around us are mostly empty space. It might be all empty space, with no "things" there at all. It's no longer a question for college freshmen in a late-night dorm chat. We have to ask ourselves what we're going to do when AI starts to claim that it's sentient. Finally, how does all this affect the way we live our lives? How does it affect questions of meaning and purpose? What about theological questions? 📬 Send us your thoughts: [email protected] 🌐 More episodes: pigweedandcrowhill.com👍 Like, subscribe, and tell a friend